Chapter 14

After what seemed like millions of years later, Jo finally looked up and saw Ash resting on his elbow, looking at her.

"What?" She asked groggily.

"You've been asleep. Snoring." Ash replied with a grin.

"What? I don't snore." Jo replied, blushing.

"Yes, you do. With your mouth open." Ash said, his grin widening.

Jo could feel herself getting worked up. Snoring with her mouth open? How unsexy was that? Then she realized she hadn't seen Ash sleep. Maybe his was worse.

"Yeah, so?" She asked defensively.

"It's cute." Ash said, touching the tip of her nose with his finger, "You're cute."

Jo was pleased before she remembered who she was. She was a gangster for crying out loud. Gangsters didn't do cute!

"How many girls have you used that line on?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

All traces of amusement left Ash's face as he sat up, "Before we did this, I told you I cared for you. Do you think I was just saying that to get into your pants?"

Jo had the grace to look ashamed.

"Because I wasn't," Ash continued, "When I first saw you, back when I thought you were a regular gangster out to extort and maim people, I wanted to be with you. Now I know you're a good person, I want to be with you."

Jo felt equal parts elated and smothered by Ash's confession.

Ash felt it and rushed to add, "There's no pressure, though. You don't have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know."

Jo smiled and sitting up, she pulled him into a hug, "I really like you too, Ash." In her mind, she thought it was more than that, but she didn't know the words to use.

"Umm, so, you know the tradition ..." Ash said, suddenly shy.

"What tradition?" Jo asked.

"After, you have to say how good it was for you." Ash said.

Jo smiled, "It was great. I thought my heart would give out."

Ash smiled brightly, "Thanks."

Jo narrowed her eyes. Ash was usually confident if anything. Why was he acting so unsure of himself?

She realized she'd voiced her question out loud when Ash's cheeks reddened. Gosh! Who knew the man blushed?

He scratched his nape, "It's been a ... long time."

Jo stared at him with her mouth open, "How long?"

Ash's cheeks got redder, "Five years."

Jo pinched herself, "No way!" She exclaimed, "A man as hot as you are?!"

"It's true," Ash admitted, "Well, many women did offer themselves to me, but I turned them down because I wasn't interested."

Jo frowned, "Because you think you're better than them?"

"No. No. Not at all." Ash said, "I only have sex with someone who means something to me."

"Your demisexual!" Jo said, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Ash laughed at her expression, "It's not the same as being a pimp."

"Sorry," Jo said, recovering herself, "I just didn't think you'd ... I mean, look at you."

Ash pulled her in to his side, "Feel free to avoid this question I'm about to ask ..."

Jo tensed and waited.

"When was your last time?" Ash asked, not meeting her face.

Jo knew it would be unfair of her not to answer the question, moreover she wanted to, "Uh, two months ago?" She said, counting with her fingers.

Ash's face betrayed no emotion, "Who was it?"

"What makes you think you know him?" Jo asked.

Ash shrugged, "I have a gut feeling."

Jo sighed, "It was Rex."

Immediately, Ash turned and gave her an 'ah-ha' look, "I knew it." He mumbled.

"It was just a one time thing. Didn't happen again after that night." Jo clarified.

"I'm sure he regrets that." Ash said, "I hope he didn't hurt you."

Jo stared at him incredulously.

"What?" Ash asked, "He's so big and you're not so big."

Jo smirked, "We fit just fine."

Ash groaned, "Why are we even talking about your one night stand?"

"You brought it up." Jo laughed.

"Aren't you going to ask me if it was good for me?" Ash asked.

Jo decided she needed a bath. She got up from the bed and walked to the tiny en-suite bathroom.

When she was at the door, she turned and smirked at Ash, "Oh, I know it was."

She went in, laughing at the bewildered look on his face.

* * *

While Jo was in the bathroom, Ash pondered on whether or not to join her. He needed a shower too, but he didn't want to intrude on her personal space after he'd explicitly told her that he'd give her all the space she wanted.

He was still contemplating his decision when Jo's phone rang. The caller ID didn't specify who it was, so he shrugged and answered the call, "Jo isn't around at the moment."

He was greeted with silence.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Ash asked, scowling.

"As a matter of fact," came a mischievous voice, "There's two of us here."

"Yeah." Another voice said.

"Oh. A conference call," Ash said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Andrea."

"And I'm Sia."

Oh. Ash remembered the two women had been with Jo at the diner.

"And who are you?" Andrea asked.

"Ash."

"No way! Green eyes?"

"That hot hunk?! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined!" Sia said.

"Oh come on! That day at the diner, they were fucking each other with their eyes!" Andrea said.

Ash winced at the mental image Andrea painted, "Did not."

"Did too." Andrea replied in a childlike manner.

"So where's Jo?" Sia asked, laughing at Ash's discomfort.

"She's bathing." He said.

"No way! They just finished it!" Andrea cried.

Ash sighed as both women burst into laughter, "When she's out, I'll have her call you two."

He hung up on their laughter.

After a second, he noticed he was smiling. Those women were actually fun to talk to. Jo needed more people like them in her life, and he was going to fill in the position.

* * *

Jo was out of the bathroom and getting dressed when her phone rang.

It was a three-way call from Sia and Andrea.

She answered, "Hey, girls!"

"Can you hear how happy she is? Green eyes must be good in bed!" Andrea said, and Sia concurred.

Jo cleared her throat, "Whoever put that stupid idea in your head?"

"There's no use lying to us." Sia admonished, "We called you earlier and he answered. He told us you were bathing."

Jo groaned, she'd been caught. She had half a mind to march into the bathroom, where Ash was bathing and ask him why he did such, but she knew if she did, the sight that would greet her would make her toss her phone away, slam him against the wall and go for a second round.

"How good was it?" Sia asked.

Jo sighed, "It was great. Best I've had in a long time."

Andrea sniffed, "Just as I knew."

Jo scowled, "Knew what?"

Andrea laughed, "That it'd be great between the both of you."

"I know, right?" Sia said, "Gangsters, fugitives and now lovers, you two are a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde."

"You know they were shot dead, right?" Jo asked, she hated it when people romanticized the couple.

"Yeah. But don't we all die in the end?" Sia asked.

"Well, I don't want to die now." Jo replied.

Ash stepped out of the bathroom buck naked, his hair was matted to his head, and his wet body glistened under the fluorescent lighting in the room.

Jo let out a breathy sigh at the perfection that was his body.

Ash smirked at her, and finding his pants in the floor, pulled them on, giving Jo a prime view of his ass. Jo wondered if it was healthy to be as obsessed over a man's ass as she was.

"Hello, Jo? Are you there? Earth to Jo?" Andrea said.

Her words snapped Jo's attention back to the call, "I'm sorry, I got ... distracted." Jo said, looking away from Ash.

"I think we can guess what distracted her." Sia said.

"Yes, and being good friends, we'll leave you to your session, for now." Andrea said.

Jo didn't want her friends to think she'd become a sex addict overnight, moreover it had been a long time since she'd talked to them, "No, no. I'm here."

Ash pointed at himself and mouthed the word 'breakfast' before leaving the room. At first, Jo thought he meant he was breakfast, because the man was that yummy, but after a while, she realized he meant he was going to prepare breakfast.

"So where's he now?" Sia asked.

"In bed, waiting for us to finish this conversation?" Andrea guessed.

"No," Jo said, "I think he's in the kitchen, preparing breakfast."

"A man who is good in bed and cooks breakfast? Please, does he have a brother?" Andrea asked.

"Or a cousin? Or an uncle? I'm not particularly choosy." Sia seconded.

Jo was about to reply when she realized she knew next to nothing about Ash. She didn't even know if he had any living relative. Well, she thought, that had to change.

* * *

Ash hurried to dish out breakfast when he heard Jo approach the kitchen. Ash thanked heavens Pascal had had the sense to stock up the tiny freezer, even if it were just with the bare necessities.

He hoped Jo would like the breakfast. While he was bathing, he realized he knew only a little about her. He decided to change that, and had conceived the wonderful idea of cooking her breakfast in the hope she'd open up to him.

Jo entered the kitchen just as Ash brought their plates to the table, and she marveled at his pulchritude. He looked so care-free at that moment, as if he wasn't on the run from the law.

He saw her, smiled and pulled out a chair for her. Thanking him, she sat down. He leant down and gave her a quick kiss that left her wanting more.

He went to the fridge, brought out a carton of juice. Then he brought out two glass cups and poured a healthy amount of juice into the both of them. He set them on the table, sat and smiled at her befuddled expression.

"What?" He asked.

Jo shook her head as she examined the frittata and sausages on her plate, "I've never had anyone other than my mother cook me breakfast."

Ash grinned, "Well, you have me now."

They ate in companionable silence, and Jo wondered if this was how peaceful married couples felt. She wasn't against marriage, but she'd long decided that she wasn't cut out for it, what with her hazardous occupation.

Not that she was considering marriage to Ash. That would be jumping the gun. It took more than caring for someone to marry that person.

"You're thinking so loudly." Ash said.

Jo stuffed her mouth full with sausage so she wouldn't have to tell him what she had been thinking about.

"Tell me about yourself, Jo." Ash asked.

Jo looked up, "What do you want to know?"

Ash looked surprised, that wasn't the answer he'd expected, "You'll tell me anything?"

"Of course." Jo nodded, hoping if she was open with him, he'd reciprocate the favor when it was her turn to ask the questions.

"What led you to become what you are today?" Ash asked.

Jo raised her eyebrows. Ash had gone straight to the point without asking her irrelevant questions to put her at ease.

She dropped her fork and replied, "When I was ten years old, my father was shot dead in our sitting room. No one knows who did it, but the cops suspected gangsters.

After my father's death, my mother was lucky enough to get two jobs as a waitress at different restaurants. That was how she put me through school.

After I graduated from high school, but restaurants closed up because of the high crime rates, and the ones still operating didn't want a woman as old as my mother.

I had to give up my dreams of attending college and become a waitress myself. I didn't like it much. I got blamed for everything that went wrong, and when some customers tried to paw me, I always hit them in self-defense. The owner thought I was more trouble than I was worth. The last straw that broke the camel's back was when he caught me sneaking food to some hungry teens on the streets. I got fired, and during my short stay at home, I began to think about how fucked up Ganghaven was.

At that moment, I knew I had to do something so some random child didn't end up like me.

I decided to go online and appeal to charity organizations to come to Ganghaven to help.

The few who responded weren't trusted by the residents because these people have been fucked over so many times by outsiders.

I decided to change tactics and form a coalition of other individuals who were interested in helping the residents, and we formed a 'gang'. The residents didn't mind us helping them because we were people they knew, people who lived in Ganghaven.

We decided to go with it." Jo concluded.

Ash considered her with awe. He couldn't help but admire her selflessness, determination and courage to help those she cared about.

"Wow!" He said, "I don't know what to say."

Jo wiped her mouth and pushed her empty plate away, "You don't have to say anything except you want to tell me your own story."

Ash sighed. As much as it hurt him to tell his life story, he knew he would, just because Jo had asked him to.